ARGYLL and Bute has been named the UK’s third-best destination for enjoying a sauna beneath the stars, with a Dunoon business owner celebrating the area’s growing sauna culture.
The region finished behind only the Outer Hebrides and Shetland in a new UK Sauna Stargazing Index, securing a Scottish clean sweep of the top three places.
Sauna specialists Finnmark Sauna assessed 70 destinations across the UK, examining public sauna availability, light pollution and annual sunshine hours to identify the best places to combine a sauna experience with stargazing.
Argyll and Bute scored 78.1 out of 100, helped by its exceptionally dark skies and an estimated 16.2 public saunas per 100,000 adults.
The region also achieved a Bortle light pollution rating of just 1.5, matching the Outer Hebrides and Shetland and highlighting its excellent conditions for stargazing.
For Dunoon business owner Lorna Vinson, who runs mobile sauna company Sauna Mara, the recognition reflects the appeal of enjoying the outdoors along Cowal’s coastline.
Based mainly at Toward SeaSports Club, overlooking the water towards Bute and the Argyll hills, the business also operates at other locations around Dunoon and Cowal.
Lorna, who launched Sauna Mara around 18 months ago, said: “I’m delighted to have been running my mobile sauna business for the past year and a half and to be part of Scotland’s growing sauna culture, particularly here in beautiful Argyll.
“It’s a real privilege to see first-hand the benefits that sauna, cold water and spending time in our green and blue spaces can have on people’s health and wellbeing.
“But one of the most rewarding things is seeing the connections people make. It’s amazing to watch people who have never met share the experience, get chatting and leave having connected with someone new.”
She said the experience also encouraged people to embrace the outdoors, even during the colder months.
“There’s often a personal challenge involved, whether that’s taking the plunge into cold water or simply stepping outside into the elements on a freezing Scottish winter’s day.
“People push themselves beyond their comfort zone, embrace the surroundings and come away feeling invigorated, with that unmistakable post-sauna glow.
“Being able to offer that experience in such a beautiful part of the world is something I feel very fortunate to do.”
The index also recorded around 1,300 annual sunshine hours in Argyll and Bute, which researchers used as an indicator of potentially clearer skies.
With its combination of dark skies, coastal scenery and outdoor sauna experiences, the region is now among the UK’s highest-ranked destinations for those looking to relax beneath
the stars.
